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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce the opening of new U.S. embassies on Cook Islands and Niue on Monday as the Democratic administration aims to demonstrate to Pacific Island leaders that it remains committed to increasing American presence in the region. The announcement about the new diplomatic missions in the South Pacific comes as Biden prepares to welcome leaders to Washington for the two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit. Talks are expected to heavily focus on the impact of climate change in the region. They also will meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change. Kerry and USAID administrator Samantha Power will host the leaders on Tuesday for climate talks with members of the philanthropic community.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, John Kerry, Antony Blinken, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Manasseh Sogavare, Meltek Sato Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Forum, White, Baltimore Ravens, Coast Guard, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, Pacific, State Department, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Solomon Islands, General Assembly, The U.S, Australian Locations: Cook Islands, Niue, South, Washington, Baltimore Harbor, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kerry, Federated States, The U.S, Solomon, New York, China, Papua, Guinea, The

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve Internet connectivity via undersea cables, and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. SOME SKIP SUMMITSolomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country's ties with China, will skip the summit. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization. "Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not attend the summit, his office told Reuters.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, James Marape, David Kabua, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Solomon Islands, Guinea's, Samoa's, U.S ., NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Pacific, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Papua, Marshall, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, The U.S, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Sydney

☆ Marshall Islands says US must address nuclear legacy for deal on future ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Marshall Islands' President David Kabua arrives to address the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Acquire Licensing RightsUNITED NATIONS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The president of the Marshall Islands said on Wednesday his Pacific island nation was "cautiously optimistic" it could soon finalize a deal on future ties with the United States, but repeated a call for Washington to address the legacy of massive nuclear testing in the 1940s and 50s. The Marshall Islands is one of three sparsely populated Pacific island nations covered by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the United States. The foreign minister of the Marshall Islands called in July for more U.S. money to deal with the nuclear legacy to enable the renewal of its COFA, the economic terms of which expire on Sept. 30. Chief U.S. negotiator Joseph Yun has proposed Congress approve the total amount by Sept. 30, even without a final agreement with the Marshall Islands.

Persons: David Kabua, Eduardo Munoz, MOUs, Joseph Yun, East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink, Joe Biden, David Brunnstrom, Lincoln Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, Marshall, Free Association, Pacific, United Nations General Assembly, Chief, East Asia, Marshall Islanders, U.S, White, Thomson Locations: Marshall, New York City, U.S, United States, Washington, Micronesia, Palau, China, Pacific, New York, Bikini

☆ Marshall Islands Says US Must Address Nuclear Legacy for Deal on Future Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The president of the Marshall Islands said on Wednesday his Pacific island nation was "cautiously optimistic" it could soon finalize a deal on future ties with the United States, but repeated a call for Washington to address the legacy of massive nuclear testing in the 1940s and 50s. The Marshall Islands is one of three sparsely populated Pacific island nations covered by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the United States. The foreign minister of the Marshall Islands called in July for more U.S. money to deal with the nuclear legacy to enable the renewal of its COFA, the economic terms of which expire on Sept. 30. Marshall Islands President David Kabua told the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York his country wanted to continue its free association with the United States but Washington "must realize that the Marshallese people require that the nuclear issue will be addressed." Chief U.S. negotiator Joseph Yun has proposed Congress approve the total amount by Sept. 30, even without a final agreement with the Marshall Islands.

Persons: David Kabua, MOUs, Joseph Yun, East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink, Joe Biden, David Brunnstrom, Lincoln Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, Marshall, Free Association, Pacific, United Nations General Assembly, Chief, East Asia, Marshall Islanders, U.S, White Locations: United States, Washington, Marshall, U.S, Micronesia, Palau, China, Pacific, New York, Bikini

☆ Former Pacific leaders hope Australians 'find conscience' to pass First Nations referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Passing the referendum should be a "first step" towards a treaty with First Nations people, they added. It has also pointed to historical trade by the country's First Nations people with Pacific Islands as a basis for strong modern ties, amid competition for influence with China. He added that whatever the outcome, his work would continue to highlight that Australia's First Nations people had been linked by trade to the Pacific Islands for centuries. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates. Some Indigenous Australians want stronger action, including a treaty with the government.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Anote Tong, Tommy Remengesau, Hilda Cathy Heine, Anthony Albanese's, Justin Mohamed, Julie Bishop, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Former Pacific Islands, First Nations, Kiribati, Marshall, Pacific Elders Voice, Reuters, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Nations, Vanuatu, VBTC, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Palau, Pacific, China, Islands

☆ Former Pacific Leaders Hope Australians 'Find Conscience' to Pass First Nations Referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Anote Tong, Tommy Remengesau, Hilda Cathy Heine, Anthony Albanese's, Justin Mohamed, Julie Bishop, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Former Pacific Islands, First Nations, Kiribati, Marshall, Pacific Elders Voice, Reuters, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Nations, Vanuatu, VBTC Locations: Palau, Australia, Pacific, China, Islands

☆ US Air Force tests nuclear-capable long-range missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Michael Callahan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US Air Force on Wednesday tested an unarmed nuclear-capable long-range missile, according to the Air Force Global Strike Command. The unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, equipped with three test reentry vehicles, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and traveled 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 1:26 a.m. PT. The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the safety, security, effectiveness, and readiness of the weapon system, according to Air Force Global Strike Command. The other two parts of the triad are the Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile and nuclear weapons carried by long-range strategic bombers.

Persons: Kadielle, ”, Chris Cruise, Pat Ryder Organizations: CNN, US Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command, Minuteman, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Kadielle Shaw, . Space Force, Airmen, Guardians, Pentagon, Trident Locations: California, Marshall, Calif, Russia, United States, Hague, ” Brig

☆ Two more ships pass through Black Sea corridor, Zelenskiy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A grain ship carrying Ukrainian grain is seen in the Black Sea, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Ukraine November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 2 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that two more ships had passed through a "temporary" Black Sea shipping corridor established since Russia withdrew from a U.N.-backed grain export deal in July. "Two ships have successfully passed through our temporary 'grain corridor'," Zelenskiy posted on X, previously known as Twitter. Zelenskiy said Ukraine was "restoring true freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. In response, Ukraine announced a "humanitarian corridor" hugging the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria.

Persons: Serhii, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Odesa, Russia, Pivdenny, Liberia, Marshall, Romania, Bulgaria, Russian, Black, Sochi, Ankara

☆ How hydrogen bombs work and why they were created after WWII despite being more powerful than atomic bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Adam Barnes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

But just seven years after dropping the atomic bombs, the United States detonated an even more powerful nuclear weapon: the hydrogen bomb. A hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb, can create explosive force hundreds or even thousands of times greater than an atomic bomb. That extra challenge is why it took scientists longer to build a hydrogen bomb than the atomic bomb. Some physicists, including Oppenheimer, who were concerned about the far greater destructive potential of hydrogen bombs compared to atomic bombs, opposed their development. Hydrogen bomb tests were incredibly powerfulOn November 1, 1952, the US detonated the first hydrogen bomb at Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Persons: Edward Teller, Sun, there's, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Robert Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, Melinda Sue Gordon, Enrico Fermi, Isidor Isaac Rabi, Harry S, Truman, Stanislaw Ulam, Teller, Mike, NurPhoto, Dragon Organizations: US, Service, TNT, University of Nevada, Getty, Tsar, Manhattan Project, Los, Universal, Alamos, Soviet Union, Atomic Energy, Bravo, Castle Bravo, Marshall Locations: Los Alamos, Wall, Silicon, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, United States, Las Vegas, Mt, Soviet, Soviet Union, Marshall, Castle, Bikini Atoll, Japan, Great Britain, Russia

☆ A fierce naval battle 35 years ago shows how destructive another US showdown with Iran could get
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

More than 50 IRGCN and Iranian Navy personnel were killed, while the US lost one SeaCobra helicopter and its two crew members. After all, Iran has made significant changes to its naval forces and tactics over the past 35 years, becoming "much more asymmetric," according to Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and expert on naval operations. Iran's naval force now consists of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, known as the IRGCN, and the regular Iranian Navy, Clark told Insider. The Iranian Navy still primarily consists of frigates and corvettes, which operate outside the Gulf, and is much more like other conventional navies. Iranian Navy warship Sahand in Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz in April 2019.

Persons: Biden, Earnest Will, Chance, Samuel B, Roberts, Bryan Clark, Clark, Nadimi, Abu Musa Island, IRGC, Morteza, Kyle Jia Iran's, weren't, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, US Navy, US, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, US Naval Forces Central Command, Fleet, SS, Iranian Navy, Hudson Institute, Washington Institute for Near East, Iran's Navy, REUTERS, Getty, US Marines, US Marine Corps Locations: Persian, Iran, Wall, Silicon, China, Marshall, Iranian, Gulf, Strait, Hormuz, Tehran, Iraq, SS Bridgeton, Abu Musa, Handout, Persian Gulf, Soviet Union, Lebanon, Bataan

☆ Opinion: Oppenheimer’s not your daddy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Opinion Aanchal Saraf | Rebecca H. Hogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Corbis/Getty ImagesScholar Teresia Teaiwa famously critiqued the bikini as instrumental to depoliticizing and concealing the effects of nuclear weapons in the Pacific. Britain and France would later begin their own nuclear weapons programs on Indigenous lands and waters in Australia and French Occupied Polynesia, among others. The US began detonating nuclear bombs at the Nevada Test Site in 1951, garnering nearby Las Vegas the nickname Atomic City. Atomic playboys have aestheticized nuclear weapons as sexy — but still safe — since their very existence. Nolan prolongs the time between the flash and the blast, allowing Oppenheimer’s words to hang in unnerving suspension.

Persons: Rebecca H, Hogue, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, “ Barbie ”, Barbenheimer, Hogue Rebecca H, Baker, ” Rita Hayworth, Gilda, Hayworth, — Jacques Heim’s, Louis Réard, Corbis, Teresia Teaiwa, Lee A, Merlin, SpongeBob, Bert, Turtle, Walt, William Blandy, “, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, Nolan, Oppie, Ernest Lawrence, Josh Hartnett, Jean Tatlock, Florence Pugh, Kitty Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt, Tatlock, Oppenheimer, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, Melinda Sue Gordon, Nolan prolongs, “ Gilda, ”, Nolan bifurcates “ Oppenheimer ”, ” “ Oppenheimer, Barbie, Margot Robbie, ’, Ken, Ryan Gosling, —, Barbie’s, Mike ”, Edward Teller, “ It’s, Teller, “ Oppenheimer ” Organizations: Dartmouth College’s Society of Fellows, Mahindra Humanities Center, Harvard University, CNN, Warner Brothers Discovery, Universal, Trinity, Crossroads, Getty, Atomic Energy Commission, US, Las, Atomic, National Atomic Testing, Los, Communist Party, American, Twitter Locations: Pacific, Oceania, New Mexico, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Northern Paiute, Western, Nevada, Amchitka , Alaska, Bikini Atoll, Britain, France, Australia, French, Las Vegas, Las, Playthings, Los Alamos, Japan, American, iconicity, Alamos

☆ US lawmakers back closer coordination with Pacific islands to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sparsely populated nations, whose territories cover vast areas of the Pacific, have relations with the United States governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association. "The strategic location of these islands is integral to our national security, but the lack of direct security channels between our nations creates risk," she added. An Ernst aide said Palau had already established a national security council and the other COFA states were actively considering doing so. He noted that the U.S. has significant military installations on the islands, including high-powered radar on Palau and its main long-range missile testing site in the Marshall Islands. The councils would comprise members of respective COFA states and make use of Pentagon-approved communications equipment to prevent Chinese espionage and allow sharing of intelligence, he said.

Persons: reconvenes, Leah Millis, Joni Ernst, Beijing's, Democrats Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, Ernst, Palau, Joni Ernst's, David Brunnstrom, Louise Heavens Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Republican, REUTERS, Defense, Marshall, Free Association, U.S, Reuters, Democrats, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Palau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, United States, Washington, Marshall, Pacific, U.S, Solomon Islands

☆ How a US government program advocated using nuclear explosions for construction, farming radioactive crops, and blasting holes in the moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Most focused on the potential for nuclear explosions to quickly excavate areas for construction projects at lower costs than conventional explosives. (Hamblin is the author of the book "The Wretched Atom: America's Global Gamble with Peaceful Nuclear Technology.") Fly the radioactive skiesUS officials also hoped nuclear energy could be used for transportation. Nicknamed the "pan-atomic canal," nuclear explosions would have carved a sea-level waterway through Nicaragua, Panama, or Colombia, per Forbes. Corbis via Getty ImagesFor Hamblin, the concept of "peaceful nuclear explosions" fell out of favor in the mid-70s.

Persons: Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Jacob Hamblin, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Alex Wellerstein, Hamblin, you've, Dr Leonard Reiffel, Alaska's Cape Thompson, Edward Teller, detonations, Rio, Iran —, —, Corbis, Wellerstein, Marshall, we're Organizations: Service, White, Nevada . U.S . Department of Energy Office, Scientific, Atomic Energy, UN, United Nations, IAEA Imagebank, United, US Atomic Energy Commission, Technology, Institute of Radiation, Google, NASA, Sputnik, Air Force, U.S . Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, AEC, of Energy, Popular Mechanics, New York Times, Carryall, US Department of Energy, Forbes, Atomic Energy Commission, Getty, IAEA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Suez, Nevada ., United Nations, New York, Hitachiomiya, Japan, Soviet Union, Nevada, Alaska's Cape, inconveniently, Israel, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, Pacific, Farmington , New Mexico, Rulison , Colorado, Rio Blanco, , Colorado, Iran, Mercury , Nevada, USA, Cuba, Vietnam, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada —, Marshall

☆ Long after Oppenheimer, the US is still paying benefits to people who were exposed to radiation from nuclear tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Decades after Oppenheimer, the US still pays benefits to people exposed to nuclear radiation. Civilians who contracted cancer or other diseases due to nuclear testing also receive benefits. Long after the creation and testing of that first nuclear weapon and the many more tests that followed, Washington is still paying benefits to veterans and civilians exposed to radiation from nuclear bomb tests and cleanups. It was over 40 years after the first nuclear test, codenamed "Trinity," before the risks and dangers were officially recognized. Jeff T. Green/Getty ImagesCurrent VA benefits related to nuclear radiation exposure include cleanups at the Marshall Islands and Palomares, Spain, from a 1966 US Air Force plutonium accident.

Persons: Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, Robert Oppenheimer, Bill Clinton's, Eileen Welsome's, Markey, Ken Brownell, Francis Lincoln Grahlfs, Brownell, Jeff T Organizations: Manhattan, Service, Los Alamos Laboratory, Trinity, Universal Pictures, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MPI, Manhattan Project, Marshall, Air Force, McMurdo, Manhattan Project's Trinity Locations: Marshall, Wall, Silicon, Nazi Germany, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Washington, Japan, Nevada, Hanford, Palomares, Spain, McMurdo Antarctica, Ukraine

The Suezmax requires a lightering agent to transfer the crude to smaller ships, as its size and weight restrict it from directly entering the port. Shipping companies are worried that lightering the Iranian crude onto their vessels would lead other oil buyers to shun their ships on future voyages, one of those people said. "Our legal team said 'absolutely not,'" he added, saying the ship has yet to find any willing party to transfer the oil. A Western industry expert said the inability to discharge the cargo is partly out of fear of repercussions from Iran. The Middle East oil exporter has threatened retaliation against any oil company unloading Iranian oil from the seized tanker.

Persons: Suez Rajan, Arathy Somasekhar, Jonathan Saul, Timothy Gardner, Parisa, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Shipping, U.S . Coast Guard, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Texas, Suez, Marshall, Galveston, Houston, Iran, U.S, London, Washington, Dubai

☆ Biden nominates China specialist to be ambassador to strategic Marshall Islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated a senior career diplomat to be U.S. ambassador to the Marshall Islands, a strategic Pacific territory that has become a focus for competition with China. A Chinese speaker, Stone also worked previously as coordinator of efforts to counter Chinese malign economic influence and as acting deputy assistant secretary for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia. Meanwhile, Chinese diplomats have been courting the region and China's construction and mining companies have expanded their business in Pacific island nations. In May, the U.S. said it had renewed COFA terms with Micronesia and Palau and its chief negotiator told Reuters then he hoped to finalize a deal with the Marshall Islands, whose COFA is due to expire this year, in coming weeks. Last year, more than 100 arms-control, environmental and other activist groups urged the Biden administration to formally apologize to the Marshall Islands and provide fair compensation.

Persons: Joe Biden, Laura Stone, Stone, China's, Biden, David Brunnstrom, Sandra Maler Organizations: State Department's Office, Free Association, Washington, Marshall, Reuters, Marshall Islanders, U.S, Thomson Locations: Marshall, China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, U.S, Pacific, Micronesia, Palau, Bikini

'NOT ENDORSEMENT'International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi speaks at an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan, July 7, 2023. Grossi said the IAEA's report did not amount to an endorsement of the plan and that Tokyo must take the final decision to release the water due to start later this summer. We say this plan is consistent with the standards," Grossi said. Grossi said he understood the concerns because "nothing identical" to this release had happened before. Reporting by Sakura Murakami and John Geddie in Tokyo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Japan's, Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Liu Senlin, Liu, Kim Kyung, Hoon, I'm, Sakura Murakami, John Geddie, Jacqueline Wong, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Global Times, IAEA, Atomic Energy Agency, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, China's, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Marshall Islands, South Korea, Russia, Britain, U.S, Vietnam, Tokyo, Japan, Hoon Beijing, Korea

Grossi said the IAEA's report did not amount to an endorsement of the plan and that Tokyo must take the final decision to release the water due to start later this summer. I'm not on the side of Japan or on the side of China or on the side of Korea. South Korea, which has previously expressed concerns about the release, said on Friday it respected the IAEA's review. Grossi said he understood the concerns because "nothing identical" to this release had happened before. Reporting by Sakura Murakami and John Geddie in Tokyo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Japan's, Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Liu Senlin, Liu, I'm, Sakura Murakami, John Geddie, Jacqueline Wong, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Global Times, IAEA, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, China's, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Marshall Islands, South Korea, Russia, Britain, U.S, Vietnam, Beijing, Japan, Tokyo, Korea

☆ Global shipping industry climate pledge slammed as a ‘wishy washy’ compromise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The shipping industry has agreed a climate pledge to reduce its planet-heating pollution to net zero “by or around” 2050. That changed on Friday, when the International Maritime Organization, the UN body that regulates global shipping, published a new climate strategy after days of negotiations between the organization’s 175 member states. IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim said in a statement that the new climate strategy provides a “clear direction, a common vision, and ambitious targets.”Industry groups welcomed the deal. John Maggs, the president of the Clean Shipping Coalition criticized the “vague and non-committal language” in the new climate strategy. Countries pledged in the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees – and preferably to 1.5 degrees – compared to pre-industrial temperatures.

Persons: Kitack Lim, Simon Bennett, Albon, ” Ralph Regenvanu, John Maggs, Faïg, ”, IMO’s Lim, “ Organizations: CNN, International Maritime Organization, UN, ” Industry, International Chamber of Shipping, Clean Shipping Coalition, Environment Locations: Paris, Marshall, Vanuatu

☆ Iran's Revolutionary Guards seize commercial ship in Gulf - U.S. Navy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards "forcibly seized" a commercial ship in international waters in the Gulf on Thursday and the vessel was possibly involved in smuggling, a U.S. Navy spokesperson said. The U.S. Navy had monitored the situation and decided not to make any further response, U.S. 5th Fleet spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins said. Iran said on Thursday it had a court order to seize one of the tankers sailing in Gulf waters on Wednesday after it collided with an Iranian vessel. read moreTehran seized two other tankers in May including the Marshall Islands flagged Advantage Sweet, which had been chartered by Chevron. read moreSince 2021, "Iran has harassed, attacked or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels", the U.S. Navy said this week.

Persons: Tim Hawkins, Ambrey, Hawkins, Jonathan Saul, Hugh Lawson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Guards, U.S . Navy, . 5th Fleet, Richmond, Marshall, Chevron, Thomson Locations: Gulf, U.S, British, Saudi, Dammam, Iran, Hormuz, Oman, Gulf of Oman, Iranian, Bahamas, Chevron, Tehran

☆ Iran says it had court order to seize Chevron tanker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, July 6 (Reuters) - Iran said on Thursday it had a court order to seize a tanker in Gulf waters a day earlier after it collided with an Iranian vessel, one of two tankers the U.S. Navy said it prevented Iran from commandeering. The Richmond Voyager, a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker, had collided with an Iranian vessel and the Iranian navy had a court order to seize it, the Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Iran's Hormozgan Province told the official IRINN news agency. It said Iranian authorities had asked the tanker to stop and had fired shots but the Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived. U.S. oil company Chevron (CVX.N), which manages the Richmond Voyager, said its crew were safe and the vessel was operating normally. The U.S. Navy had earlier responded to an incident involving the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in the same region.

Persons: McFaul, IRINN, TRF Moss, Lisa Barrington, Tom Hogue, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S . Navy, Richmond, Iranian, Rescue Center, Iran's, Richmond Voyager, Chevron, Marshall, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Iran, Iranian, commandeering, Bahamas, Iran's Hormozgan Province, Oman, Richmond, U.S, United States, Hormuz

☆ US Navy video shows Iranian ship open fire at a merchant tanker that it was trying to capture
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iranian naval ships tried to seize two oil tankers crossing Middle Eastern waters on Wednesday. The US Navy said in one incident, Iranian personnel opened fire on one of the commercial ships. The Iranian vessel tried to get the Richmond Voyager to stop, and reached within a mile of the tanker. The US Navy said Iranian personnel then "fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons" at the tanker, with several rounds hitting the hull. Unclassified US Navy drone footage shows the Iranian ship open fire at the Richmond Voyager, with some rounds ricocheting, shown in the video as small flashes above the tanker.

Persons: —, TRF Moss, Brad Cooper, Cooper, Biden Organizations: US Navy, Service, US Naval Forces Central Command, Bahamian, Richmond, Richmond Voyager, Navy, Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces, US, US Air Force Locations: Marshall, Gulf of Oman, Iranian, Oman, Hormuz, Iran, Washington, Yemen, Tehran, Syria

☆ U.S. Navy says Iran tried to seize two oil tankers, fired on one
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Courtney Kube | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Courtesy: U.S. Department of DefenceThe U.S. Navy prevented Iranian warships from seizing two oil tankers in international waters near Oman on Wednesday, according to an American military official. At about 1 a.m. local time, an Iranian navy vessel approached a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, the TRF Moss, that had just transited the Strait of Hormuz. Three hours later, another Iranian navy vessel approached the tanker, the Richmond Voyager, that had sailed from the United Arab Emirates through the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker issued a distress call after the Iranian ship allegedly tried to get it to stop. When the USS McFaul arrived, the Iranian ship left, according to the official.

Persons: Moss, McFaul, Brad Cooper, Ken Paxton Organizations: Merchant, U.S . Department of Defence, U.S . Navy, American, Marshall, Navy, Richmond Voyager, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S . Naval Forces Central Command, . 5th Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces, NBC, U.S Locations: Iran, Gulf of Oman, Oman, Iranian, Hormuz, United Arab, U.S, Ohio

An Iranian navy vessel fired shots during the second seizure attempt, Navy Fifth Fleet spokesperson Timothy Hawkins said. British maritime security company Ambrey said a warship with a multinational navy task group was in the area at the time and had requested the Iranian navy to "cease harassing" one of the merchant ships. Iran seized two oil tankers in a week just over a month ago, the U.S. Navy said. Refinitiv ship-tracking data shows the Richmond Voyager previously docked in Ras Tannoura in eastern Saudi Arabia before Wednesday's incident in the Gulf of Oman. The Richmond Voyager was sailing away from the Gulf with Singapore listed as its destination, Refinitiv ship tracking showed.

Persons: Timothy Hawkins, Hawkins, Ambrey, IRNA, Lisa Barrington, Jonathan Saul, Rami Ayyub, Jason Neely, David Holmes Organizations: U.S . Navy, Chevron, Richmond Voyager, Navy Fifth Fleet, Reuters, Marshall, Suez, Dubai, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Iran, Gulf of Oman, U.S, Iranian, Oman, United States, Hormuz, Ras Tannoura, Saudi Arabia, Gulf, Singapore, Marshall Islands, Greece, U.S . Gulf, Mexico, Galveston, Washington

He warned that contaminated medicines could still be found for several years, because adulterated barrels of an essential ingredient may remain in warehouses. Cough syrups and the ingredient, propylene glycol, both have shelf-lives of around two years. Unscrupulous actors sometimes substitute propylene glycol with toxic alternatives, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, because they are cheaper, several pharmaceutical manufacturing experts told Reuters. The WHO said it has also offered help to Liberia and Cameroon – which recently signalled that it too may have contaminated cough syrups for sale. The contaminated syrups in Liberia were made by India's Synercare Mumbai, according to the Nigerian regulator.

Persons: Rutendo Kuwana, Kuwana, –, syrups, Naresh Kumar Goyal, QP Pharmachem, India's Synercare, Synercare, It's, Jennifer Rigby, Krishna N.Das, Edward McAllister, Stanley Widianto, Sumit Khanna, Sophie Yu, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Reuters, Pharmaceutical, Marshall, Indonesian, –, PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries, AFI, Pharmaceuticals, Marion Biotech, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Thomson Locations: LIBERIA, CAMEROON, Liberia, Nigeria, Gambia, Uzbekistan, Micronesia, Indonesian, – Timor Leste, Cambodia, Senegal, Philippines, Cameroon, syrups, Marshall Islands, India's Synercare Mumbai, Nigerian, Liberian, India, Panama, Delhi, Dakar, Jakarta, Ahmedabad, Beijing

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